Air venting device for a toilet

ABSTRACT

The venting device for a toilet is mounted upon a vent drain tube and a bowl fill tube within the tank. The coperating handle for the toilet when moved clockwise opens a valve which moves a piston to raise a sealing head from the vent drain tube and direct atomized water from an atomizing head thereinto to create a suction. The created suction draws air upwardly through the bowl fill tube or overflow pipe from the bowl and discharges it downwardly through the vent drain tube into the drain. When the handle is operated in the opposite direction, that is to say counterclockwise, the water is shut off to the piston and atomizing head and the sealing valve is moved downwardly over the end of the vent drain tube. The end of the tube is below the water level controlled by the bowl fill tube so as to have the water rise above the vent drain tube to provide a further seal therefor. The water passage to the atomizing head is also sealed from the drain when the vent drain tube is closed by the sealing head.

United States Patent [1 Bond 111 3,740,771 451 June 26, 1973 AIR VENTING DEVICE FOR A TOILET John W. Bond, 3547 Merrick, Dearbom, Mich. 48124 [76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. 4/215, 4/68 [51] Int. Cl E03d 9/04, E03d 9/05, E03d 11/00 [58] Field of Search 4/215, 216, 213, 4/214, 68

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,072,924 1/1963 Fitzgerald 4/215 1,004,917 10/1911 Shadall 4/215 1,257,331 2/1918 Duff 4/215 1,303,974 5/1919 Shadall 4/215 2,309,925 2/1943 Schotthoefer 4/215 2,395,236 2/1946 Schotthoefer 4/215 2,406,507 8/1946 Owens 4/215 3,188,658 6/1965 Dixon 4/215 I Primary Exgniner -Wayne A. Morse, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-Donald B. Massenberg Attorney-Hamess, Dickey 8!. Pierce [5 7 ABSTRACT The venting device for a toilet is mounted upon a vent drain tube and a bowl fill tube within the tank. The operating handle for the toilet when moved clockwise opens a valve which moves a piston to raise a sealing head from the vent drain tube and direct atomized water from an atomizing head thereinto to create a suction. The created suction draws air upwardly through the bowl fill tube or overflow pipe from the bowl and discharges it downwardly through the vent drain tube into the drain. When the handle is operated in the opposite direction, that is to say counterclockwise, the water is shut off to the piston and atomizing head and the sealing valve is moved downwardly over the end of the vent drain tube. The end of the tube is below the water level controlled by the bowl fill tube so as to have the water rise above the vent drain tube to provide a further seal therefor. The water passage to the atomizing head is also sealed from the drain when the vent drain tube is closed by the sealing head.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures AIR VENTING DEVICE FOR A TOILET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to an air venting device which is mounted on a pair of tubes which extend downwardly through the bottom of the flush tank of a toilet. The one tube is of the bowl fill type which has water directed thereinto to fill the bowl to a predetermined level and for regulating the depth of the water within the tank. The second tube is a vent drain tube, the end of which communicates through an aperture in the side of the toilet bowl with the drain. The upper ends of the tubes are enclosed in separate housings which are interconnected by a cross-tube. The bowl fill tube extends above the cross-tube while the shorter vent drain tube extends th'erebelow. An overflow extension is provided on the side of the bowl fill tube housing which has a section cut away at the bottom so that in case the intake water is not shut off it can flow over the extension and pass down through the bowl fill tube into the drain.

A cylinder is supported in the upper portion of the housing about the vent drain tube with which it is aligned. A piston within the cylinder is mounted on one end of a piston rod the opposite end of which supports a sealing head. The head has a sealing ring therein which engages the end of the vent drain tube when the piston, piston rod and head are moved downwardly. The sealing head has a skirt thereabout which is covered by the water when the tank is filled with water to further seal the end of the vent drain tube against the admission of any gas from the drain. The piston is operated by water, controlled by a valve which is actuated by the handle which controls the flushing of the toilet. The toilet is flushed when the handle is moved counterclockwise and the valve to the piston is open when the handle is moved in the opposite or clockwise direction. The water is delivered below the piston which is moved upwardly in the cylinder raising the sealing head from the end of the vent drain tube and compressing a spring. The lower end of the piston rod has an aperture therein communicating with an aperture through the side wall thereof which when in raised position is in the area of the intake water for raising the piston which is delivered downwardly through the passageway and out the end of a screw having a cuplike head which retains the sealing head on the end of the piston rod. The passage of water through the cuplike head produces the atomization of the water which is directed into the end of the vent drain tube to provide a substantial suction. The suction draws air from the vent drain tube housing, the cross-tube and the housing about the bowl fill tube and from the bowl fill tube and the bowl to thereby remove any odors present therein.

The handle on the tank is moved in the opposite direction, or counterclockwise, when the toilet is to be flushed which movement closes the valve to cut off the flow of water to the piston which is moved downwardly by the compressed spring to move the sealing head over the end of the vent drain tube to seal the end which is further sealed by a portion of the water delivered to the bowl fill tube and to the tank. The passageway to the atomizing cuplike head is also sealed when the vent drain tube is sealed. This structure is believed to be a substantial advancement over that of the above mentioned patent since it is more positive and substantially simplified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a toilet with parts broken away and in section having a device of the present invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken on the line 3-3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken on the line 4-4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken on the line 5-5 thereof;

FIG. 6 is a broken view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, as viewed from the point 6 thereof;

FIG. 7 is a view of valve structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 5, showing another form thereof, and

FIG. 8 is a left-hand end view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a toilet 11 has a bowl 12 and a tank 13 which rests thereon and is secured thereto in sealed relation. The water from the tank flows through a passageway 14 into the bowl and the water from the bowl flushes out from a passageway 15 into a drain 16 all of which is of conventional construction. The tank has a water supply pipe 17 connected to a conventional ball-operated valve which delivers water to the tank through a pipe 18. The pipe 17 extends through the bottom wall 19 of the tank to which it is sealed and connected to a water supply line 21. A vent drain tube 22 extends through the bottom wall 19 of the tank to which it is sealed and connected to a conduit 23 which extends through an aperture in the wall of the bowl 12 which communicates with the drain. A fitting 24 through the aperture seals the end of the conduit 23 thereto and to the drain. A bowl fill tube 25 also extends through the bottom wall 19 of the tank to which it is sealed with the bottom end extending within the passageway 14. A conventional ball sealing cup 26 passes through the bottom wall 19 of the tank to deliver water into the passageway 14 when a ball 30 is unseated by being raised from the cup 26. The operation of a handle 27 counterclockwise raises the ball 30 and produces a flushing operation in the conventional manner.

The bottom wall 19 of the tank rests upon a flange 28 about the opening to the passageway 14 to which it is sealed by a gasket 29 and secured in position by a plurality of screws 31. The ball 30 has a rod 32 extending upwardly therefrom which is connected to a link 33 secured in fixed relation to a shaft 34 to which the handle 27 is attached. The shaft 34 is supported within a sleeve 35 which extends through an aperture in the front wall of the tank and is secured thereto by a nut 36 in a conventional manner. After the toilet is flushed, a float ball 37 on a rod 38 opens a valve 39 on the pipe 17 to permit a flow of water through the pipe 18 into the tank.

The flow of water is shut off when the ball 37 is raised thereby to a predetermined water level position.

As illustrated more clearly in FIG. 4, the bowl fill tube 25 has a housing 41 thereabout which may be of any shape but is herein illustrated as being cylindrical. A bottom plate 42 of the housing has an O-ring 43 which seals the bottom plate to the tube. An extension on the bottom plate is sealed to an extending wall 44 which forms a reservoir into which the water may run and pass through a cutout portion 45 at the bottom of the housing 41 to permit the water to pass within the housing and down the bowl fill tube to thereby prevent the tank from overflowing. The water will be retained about the tube 25 to seal the cutout portion 45 within the extending wall 44 to retain a suction within the housing 41. The upper end of the housing 41 is closed by a plate 46 which has a central boss 47 provided with a passageway 48 therethrough disposed in alignment with the bowl fill tube 25. Water from a tube 49 connected to the boss 47 and to the valve 39 is directed into the bowl fill tube 25 during the time the valve is open. A small passageway 51 in the plate 46 and boss 47 directs water from the passageway 48 toward a cross-tube 52 extending from the housing 41. The tube 52 extends within a housing 53 surrounding the upper portion of the vent drain tube 22 having a bottom wall 54 sealed thereto. The upper end of the housing has a plate 55 sealed thereto by an O-ring 56 when secured by screws 57 to an extending flange 58 at the upper edge of the housing. A cylinder 59 is supported by the plate 55 having a piston 61 therein secured to the end of a piston rod 62. A vertical passageway 63 at one side of the cylinder communicates with the interior of the cylinder through an opening 64 provided at the end of the passageway. When a valve 65 is opened, water enters the passageway 63, passes through the opening 64 and moves the piston 61 upwardly. Any air or water above the piston is free to pass out of the upper portion of the cylinder through an aperture 66. The lower end of the piston rod has a central passageway 67 which communicates with an aperture 68 through one side thereof. A sealing head 69 for the end of the vent drain tube 22 is supported on the bottom end of the piston rod by a threaded stud 71 having a cuplike head 72 at the outer end. The stud is threaded into the end of the piston rod and has a passageway 73 therethrough in extension of the passageway 67. Notches 74 may be provided in the end of the cuplike head for a driving tool which secures the sealing head 69 on the end of the piston rod.

The cylinder 59 has a cylindrical extension 75 containing an O-ring 76, a spacer sleeve 77 and an O-ring 78 which are clamped together at the bottom of the cylindrical extension 75 by a washer 79 which is secured in fixed relation thereto. The spaced O-rings 76 and 78 seal the piston rod 62 and when the-piston 61 is in raised position, permits the water to pass through the aperture 68, passageways 67 and 71 out through the cuplike head 72 where it is atomized and directed into the vent drain tube 22, as illustrated in FIG. 7. When the piston 61 is in closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a sealing washer 81 within the sealing head 69 engages and seals the end of the vent drain tube 22. A skirt 82 extends downwardly from the sealing head 69 surrounded by the water which is at a level 80 to prevent any sewer gasses being emitted through the vent drain tube 22. It will be noted that when the piston 61 is in the down position, the aperture 68 is located between the O-rings 76 and 78 and is sealed thereby to prevent any gasses from escaping through the passageways 73 and 69 and the aperture 68. A spring 83, located between the bottom of the cylinder 59 and the sealing head 69, moves the piston 61 downwardly and the sealing head 69 into engagement with the end of the vent drain tube 22 to retain it in sealed position. When the piston 61 is raised by the water delivered therebelow, the head 69 is raised and the spring 83 is compressed.

The valve 65 is illustrated more specifically in FIG. 5 as having a tubular body 84 of cylindrical shape with extending flanges 85 at one end which are secured by screws 86 in sealed relation to the housing 53 by an O- ring type of washer 87. An internally threaded boss 88 has a fitting 89 connected thereto and to a tube 91 from the pressure side of the valve 39 for delivering water to the body 84. The water passageway is sealed by a truncated end 92 of a rod 93 when engaging the O-ring washer 87. A washer 95 on the rod 93 is engaged by one end of a spring 96 the opposite end of which is engaged by a flange 97 at the end of the body. The end of the body beyond the flange 97 has a pair of sloping cam surfaces 98 which are engaged by an operating rod 99 which is secured-in fixed relation to the end of the rod 93. when the operating rod 99 is raised it will be cammed outwardly by the sloping surfaces 98 to thereby move the rod 93 to the left, opening the passageway through the O-ring washer 87. At the outer ends of the cam surfaces 98 a pair of notches 101 are provided which locks the rod 99 in valve-open position. The rod 99 has a flattened section containing an aperture 102 through which an actuating rod 103 extends. The rod also extends within a slot 104 in an arm 105 which is fixed to the shaft 34 to which the handle 27 is secured. When the handle 27 is moved to the upper position, as illustrated in dotted line in FIG. 6, the rod 103 is moved upwardly into secured position within the notches 101 and the rod 93 is moved to the left admitting water into the passageway 63 of the cylinder 59. The water raises the piston 61 and the sealing head 69 and flows from the passageway 73 and the cuplike element 72 into the end of the vent drain tube to produce a suction, as pointed out above. The movement of the handle 27 downwardly to the bottom position illustrated in dot and dash line, will move the rod 103 downwardly unseating the operating rod 99 and permitting the spring 96 to move the rod 93 to the right to cut off the flow of water to the passageway 63. The spring 83 moves the sealing head 69 and piston 61 downwardly to seal the end of the vent drain tube 22. This downward movement of the handle 27 raises the outer end ofthe link 33 and unseats the ball 27 from the cuplike element 26 to produce the flushing of the toilet bowl in the conventional manner. The lowering of the float ball 37 produces a flow of water through the tube 49 at the upper end of the housing 41 which is directed into the bowl fill tube 25 to fill the bowl to a pre- I determined level as the tank is being filled. The water from the tube 49 also passes from the passageway 51 into the cross-tube 52 to make certain that water is delivered to the housing 53 about the skirt 82 for sealing the head 69 which will be covered thereby and by the water in the tank when it reaches the level 80. The water seals the end of the vent drain tube 22 while the passageways 73 and 67 through the piston rod end are sealed by the O-rings 76 and 78 which has the intake aperture 68 thereto located therebetween.

A further form of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 7, wherein the structure is the same as that described above except that a double acting valve is substituted for the valve structure 103 for producing a flow of water to both sides of the piston. In this arrangement, a valve housing 107 has a boss 108 at the top in which a fitting 89 is secured and connected to the tube 91. The valve housing has a cylinder 109 in which an actuating rod 111 takes the place of the rod 93 illustrated in FIG. 5. The rod 111 has a pair of spaced valve heads 112 and 113 thereon which control the passage of water from an outlet 114 to a passageway 115 below the piston and a passageway 116 above the piston. The cylinder 109 has passageways 117 and 118 at the ends through which water can be expelled when the piston is moved in either direction. When the operating rod 99 is moved to raised position, as pointed out above, the rod 1 1 1 is drawn outwardly moving the head 1 12 to the left and opening the passageway 115 which produces the upward movement of the piston 61 and the raising of the sealing head 69 from the end of the vent drain tube 22 in the manner as pointed out hereinabove. Upon the movement of the operating rod 99 downwardly when the handle 27 is moved downwardly, the rod 11 1 will be moved to the right by the spring 96 admitting the water from the passageway 114 to the passageway 116 and cause the piston 61 to be moved downwardly and move the sealing head 69 against the end of the vent drain tube 22. Any water on the side of the piston toward which it is being moved will pass outwardly from one or the other passageway 117 and 118. This arrangement provides positive operation of the piston 61 and the sealing head 69 to open and closed positions with the water and spring pressure retaining the sealing head 69 in closed position. Otherwise, the structure of FIG. 7 functions in the same manner as the structures of FIGS. 1 to 6.

I claim:

1. In an air venting device for a toilet having a tank, housing means within the tank having a vent drain tube and a bowl fill tube extending thereinto from the bottom of the tank in spaced communicating relation to each other, a cylinder located at one end of the housing means and aligned with said vent drain tube, a piston in said cylinder having a piston rod, a sealing head for the end of said vent drain tube secured to the end of said piston rod, said piston rod having a passageway extending from an aperture through the side of the rod to the lower end thereof, and a valve on an element of said housing means containing said cylinder connected to a water supply line and communicating with a passageway in said element which terminates in the cylinder wall below the piston for moving the piston and sealing head away from said vent drain tube and for supplying water to the piston rod passageway through the aperture in the side of the rod which is atomized at the end of the piston rod and directed into said vent drain tube to produce a suction which draws air from said bowl fill tube and vents it to drain.

2. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 1, wherein means are provided for moving the piston and sealing head in the opposite direction for closing the end of the vent drain tube when the water through the valve is cut off.

3. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 2, wherein said moving means is a spring located between the end of the element containing the cylinder and the sealing head for moving the sealing head into sealed relation with the end of the drain tube.

4. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 2, wherein said moving means embodies valve means which closes off the supply of water below the piston after it is raised and supplies water to the top of the piston to return it to drain-tube closed position.

5. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 2, wherein means is provided for sealing the aperture through the wall of the piston rod from communicating with the interior of said vent drain tube when closed by said sealing head.

6. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 5, wherein said sealing means for said apertures is a pair of spaced O-rings between which said piston rod aperture is located when the vent drain tube is closed by said sealing head.

7. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing means are separate housing elements secured to said bowl fill and vent drain tubes extending above the ends thereof, and a cross tube communicating said separate housing elements with each other with the water level height within the tank passing through said cross tube.

8. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 7, wherein the bowl fill tube is longer than the vent drain tube for controlling the water level height within the tank so that the water will cover the sealing head and end of the vent drain tube to provide a further seal therefor.

9. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 7, wherein said housing means for the bowl fill tube has a top element with an apertured boss aligned with the bowl fill tube and connected to a supply conduit which produces a flow of water to the bowl fill tube during the flushing operation and the time the tank is being filled, said top element and boss having a passageway from the aperture of the latter for providing a supply of water to said cross tube during the time water is supplied to the bowl fill tube. 

1. In an air venting device for a toilet having a tank, housing means within the tank having a vent drain tube and a bowl fill tube extending thereinto from the bottom of the tank in spaced communicating relation to each other, a cylinder located at one end of the housing means and aligned with said vent drain tube, a piston in said cylinder having a piston rod, a sealing head for the end of said vent drain tube secured to the end of said piston rod, said piston rod having a passageway extending from an aperture through the side of the rod to the lower end thereof, and a valve on an element of said housing means containing said cylinder connected to a water supply line and communicating with a passageway in said element which terminates in the cylinder wall below the piston for moving the piston and sealing head away from said vent drain tube and for supplying water to the piston rod passageway through the aperture in the side of the rod which is atomized at the end of the piston rod and directed into said vent drain tube to produce a suction which draws air from said bowl fill tube and vents it to drain.
 2. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 1, wherein means are provided for moving the piston and sealing head in the opposite direction for closing the end of the vent drain tube when the water through the valve is cut off.
 3. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 2, wherein said moving means is a spring located between the end of the element containing the cylinder and the sealing head for moving the sealing head into sealed relation with the end of the drain tube.
 4. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 2, wherein said moving means embodies valve means which closes off the supply of water below the piston after it is raised and supplies water to the top of the piston to return it to drain-tube closed position.
 5. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 2, wherein means is provided for sealing the aperture through the wall of the piston rod from communicating with the interior of said vent drain tube when closed by said sealing head.
 6. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 5, wherein said sealing means for said apertures is a pair of spaced O-rings between which said piston rod aperture is located when the vent drain tube is closed by said sealing head.
 7. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 1, wherein said hoUsing means are separate housing elements secured to said bowl fill and vent drain tubes extending above the ends thereof, and a cross tube communicating said separate housing elements with each other with the water level height within the tank passing through said cross tube.
 8. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 7, wherein the bowl fill tube is longer than the vent drain tube for controlling the water level height within the tank so that the water will cover the sealing head and end of the vent drain tube to provide a further seal therefor.
 9. In an air venting device for a toilet as recited in claim 7, wherein said housing means for the bowl fill tube has a top element with an apertured boss aligned with the bowl fill tube and connected to a supply conduit which produces a flow of water to the bowl fill tube during the flushing operation and the time the tank is being filled, said top element and boss having a passageway from the aperture of the latter for providing a supply of water to said cross tube during the time water is supplied to the bowl fill tube. 